No Area of Passivity 3 of 4

Driving home: To master the teaching of an epitomizing text is to have in one's hand, as it were, the distillation of large segments of the entirety of the Word of God.

Martin describes a stereotypical Marine (physical build, demeanor, uniform) as an 'epitome' to illustrate how an epitomizing text embodies the characteristic quality of a whole class of biblical teaching.

A person or thing that is representative or typical of a whole class. For instance, if we talk about Marines, and you were to see a young man, say, in his early or mid-twenties, about 5 foot 10 or 11, 165 pounds, all raw bone, muscle, sinew, square jaw, crew cut, blue eyes, determined look, dressed in beautiful Marine dress blues, you'd say that man is the epitome of everything you think about when you think about a Marine. He embodies in his person all of the details of what a Marine is supposed to be.

6:53 - 7:37 Read in full sermon

The point: Work out your salvation with fear and trembling, conscious of the tremendous issues at stake and lest you fail to fully realize the salvation God has given.

He uses the analogy of a slave's obedience to a master 'with fear and trembling' (Ephesians 6:5) to explain that the fear and trembling in Philippians 2:12 is not the fear of a guilty criminal or capricious master, but a diligent, conscious engagement with tremendous issues at stake.

let's look just at one of them Ephesians chapter 6 Ephesians chapter 6 verse 5 so servants or slaves be obedient unto them that according to the flesh are your masters with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart as unto Christ in other words this fear and trembling is not the fear and trembling of the guilty criminal it is not the fear and trembling of the person who

17:17 - 18:02 Read in full sermon

The point: Be determined to live with the clear biblical tension of God's working and our working as concurrent realities.

Martin uses the analogy of a coach on the sideline, shouting encouragement but not taking the 'lumps and bumps,' to critique the idea that God's help is merely theoretical or external, contrasting it with the text's teaching that God works inwardly.

Others say, if I am to work, then whatever God does, it's really only theoretical. If I work out with fear and trembling, I'm doing it. And God must be out here sort of standing along like the coach on the sideline. You know, you're taking the lumps and the bumps and the knocks and the bruises, and he's saying, go get them, guys!

21:59 - 22:17 Read in full sermon

The point: Be determined to live with the clear biblical tension of God's working and our working as concurrent realities.

He uses the metaphor of waiting for a 'twitch over the left-hand corner of my will' or 'some afflatus' to highlight the error of waiting for a subjective feeling or surge of power before obeying, instead of deliberately planting one's feet in obedience.

And I don't lay back and wait until I feel a twitch over the left-hand corner of my will. And I say, whoo-hoo, God's working in me to will. Now I can move. Or feel some afflatus coming upon me.

23:54 - 24:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Plant your feet deliberately, willfully, with or without feelings of delight, in the path of obedience and walk it in dependence upon God.

Martin uses the metaphor of 'flipping God off and on' to expose the absurdity and theological error of the 'let God' mentality, which implies giving God permission to act.

I hope all the lights in your spiritual system start flashing and all your circuits start buzzing. Let God. Who in the world are you? Who in the world am I?

24:56 - 25:07 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Gethsemane is the monumental witness that in one sense, Jesus dragged himself to the cross. In one sense. If it be possible, let this cup pass. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.

He uses Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane ('If it be possible, let this cup pass from me') to illustrate that even our blessed Lord experienced reluctance in the face of God's will, demonstrating that a lack of delight in a specific act of obedience does not necessarily indicate an unregenerate heart.

But when he faced that path, he found reluctance. O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Jesus did not go, running with glee to the cross.

27:05 - 27:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Conscious of God's promises, cleanse yourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Martin quotes the children's song 'Every promise in the book is mine' to affirm that the Old Testament promises of God's indwelling and fatherhood are indeed gospel promises applicable to New Testament believers.

He says having these promises, beloved, you see it? These are gospel promises. And in that sense, when we sang as children, every promise in the book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line. That was good theology.

32:46 - 33:01 Read in full sermon

The point: Avoid relationships, places, and things that bring you into compromising unions of light and darkness.

He uses the example from Proverbs of avoiding the harlot's door to illustrate that 'cleansing ourselves' involves actively putting distance between oneself and occasions to sin, rather than passively praying in tempting situations.

Pass not by it. Turn from it and pass on. Or when he comes over into chapter 5 and chapter 7, warning about immoral relationships, what does he tell the young man? Come up to the door of the harlot and then have a prayer meeting?

43:50 - 44:04 Read in full sermon

The point: Go not near the door of temptation; if a television program elicits covetousness or lust, turn it off.

He uses the example of turning off a television program that elicits covetousness or lust to illustrate the practical application of 'cleansing ourselves' by removing oneself from tempting influences.

He says, go not near the door of her house. If you stay away from her door, you'll never be in her bed. That's cleansing ourselves of all defilement of the flesh and of the spirit. A certain television program has commercials that elicit inordinate covetousness on your part or lust of the eyes.

44:05 - 44:29 Read in full sermon